30 U.S. V T RANS MAGAZ N WWW.USVETERANSMAGAZINE.COM

CAREER & EMPLOYMENT

W

hen they discharge from the military, veterans are often left with the gigantic task of reintegration. To describe this journey as "daunting" doesn't even cover half of it. Not only do these veterans have to deal with an entirely new set of norms and procedures, they also often come with scars of war such as survivor's guilt, missing limbs, tinnitus, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) just to name a few. Add on the feeling of a general lack of support from society, and it is no wonder why many veterans go into complete isolation, or worse case, commit suicide. *!!!!4!'! (SF) person in basic training. I, along with the rest of my company, looked at them with reverence and awe, like a sort of real-life Rambo. We all thought that there was nothing that these guys couldn't do; they were the best

Mindset:

The Secret to Living

By Paul Peng

of the best; they were elite. It wasn't until recently that I discovered that individuals in the SF community go through the exact same struggles that veterans do. I had the privilege of speaking with 27-year Navy SEAL veteran Jason Tuschen, former CMC (Command Master Chief) and current CEO of Sylabs, Inc., about his struggles, lessons learned and mindset. Qbvm!Qfoh;!Pvu!pg!zpvs!38.zfbs! dbsffs!bt!b!Obwz!TFBM-!xibu!xbt! zpvs!nptu!uszjoh!ujnf@

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When Dave Tapper was killed in action on August 20, 2003 in Eastern Afghanistan. Dave was one of my closet friends. We deployed together at SEAL Team 3 and worked closely at NSWDG. He was a husband and father of four kids. His youngest son and my son were born a month apart. Any death is a tragedy. But when it is someone close, it is gut wrenching. I will never forget carrying his casket at Little Creek, Va. while the bagpipes played "Amazing Grace," standing at Arlington listening to Taps as he was lowered down, nor the brotherhood we shared. As I progressed up to the rank of CMC, I had to handle several tragedies. The last one that I had to be a part of before retirement was when Chuck Keating IV died. He was KIA in Northern Iraq May 3, 2016. Any death in the Teams is hard, but Chuck's was especially so because of how much media attention it got. Myself and Capt. Gary Richard had to go to both his parents and his brother (also a SEAL) informing them that he was KIA. The whole process of getting the proverbial 2 a.m. phone call, hauling ass into work then telling the next of kin is the worst task a leader has to do. But it pales in comparison to what the family has to endure. Qfoh;!Up!zpv-!xibukt!uif!ejggfsfodf! cfuxffo!uif!njoetfu!pg!b!TPG! )Tqfdjbm!Pqfsbujpot!Gpsdft*!nfncfs! wfstvt!dpowfoujpobm!gpsdft@

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)!!8!! with a sense of urgency and to the worst-case scenario. :!!!! by training that way. It is physically and mentally exhausting, but you know that when you deploy you are as well trained as you can be and feel prepared. However, there is always room for improvement. You continuously strive for virtuosity knowing that you will never attain it. That is ! Teamwork. In SOF, we are very aware of our strengths and weaknesses. As a result, we are able to complement each other, covering for each other's weaknesses. Making an unstoppable team. Taking Ownership. Take ownership of your mistakes, that's how you learn. In SOF, we spend a lot of time going over lessons learned so that we don't make the same mistake twice. Mental Toughness. It is the union of discipline and courage. Courage isn't just running to the sound of gun !!!!!! regardless of apprehensions or fear. Discipline is doing what you know to be right regardless of any distractions or discomforts.

Jason Tuschen from his SEAL days

COURTESY OF JASON TUSCHEN